Skip to main content
Log in

Bucillamine (a new therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis) induced nephrotic syndrome: a report of two cases and review of the literature

  • Clinical Pharmacology
  • Published:
The clinical investigator Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Two cases of nephrotic syndrome during bucillamine treatment were encountered in 1989 in our hospital; both patients had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for 2 years. They had received 200 mg bucillamine orally per day for 3–4 months before the onset of the nephrotic syndrome. Discontinuation of bucillamine led to complete remission of the nephrotic syndrome within 1 year. Bucillamine is a new therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis developed in 1982 in Japan. Since 1985, 14 cases of nephrotic syndrome, including the two cases reported here have been reported. We review these cases and discuss the pathogenesis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

C3:

complement 3

C4:

complement 4

RA:

rheumatoid arthritis

References

  1. Abe C (1988) Development and clinical assessment of bucillamine. In: Rimatil Symposium. Current topics of antirheumatic therapy. Medical Tribune, Tokyo, pp 6–8 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Devogelaer JP, Pirson Y, Vandenbrouke JM, Cosyns JP, Brichard S, Deuxchaisnes CN (1987) d-penicillamine induced crescentic glomerulonephritis: report and review of the literature. J Rheumatol 14:1036–1041

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fillastre JP, Druet P, Mery JP (1988) Proteinuric nephropathies associated with drugs and substances of abuse. In: Cameron JS, Glassock RJ (eds) The nephrotic syndrome. Dekker, New York, pp 697–744

    Google Scholar 

  4. Honkanen E, Törnroth T, Pettersson E, Skrifvars B (1987) Membranous glomerulonephritis in rheumatoid arthritis not related to gold or D-penicillamine therapy: a report of four cases and review of the literature. Clin Nephrol 27:87–93

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ishikawa K, Sakaguchi M (1986) SA96(N-2-mercapto-2-methyl propanoyl)-l-cysteine in rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 15:85–90

    Google Scholar 

  6. Ishikawa K, Matsubara S, Ohira S et al (1988) Clinical efficacy of bucillamine (Rimatil) on rheumatoid arthritis — a long term study. Jpn J Inflamm 8:169–180 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ishikawa T, Nagase M, Koyama T et al (1989) A case of rheumatoid arthritis with membranous nephropathy thought to be induced by bucillamine treatment (abstract). Jpn J Nephrol 31:1268

    Google Scholar 

  8. Jingu M (1988) Basic site and action of bucillamine. In: Rimatil Symposium. Progress in immunotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Medical Tribune, Osaka, pp 3–5 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kawano M, Nomura H, Iwainaka Y et al (1990) Bucillamine-associated membranous nephropathy in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Jpn J Nephrol 32:817–821

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kinpara K, Ogawa T, Kobayashi M et al (1989) Two cases of nephrotic syndrome during administration of bucillamine (abstract). Jpn J Nephrol 31:1342 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kubota K, Yumura K, Kawada T et al (1989) Two cases of rheumatoid arthritis with proteinuria induced by bucillamine treatment (abstract). Jpn J Nephrol 31:1267–1268 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Matsubara T (1988) Action mechanism of sulfhydryl compounds. In: Rimatil Symposium. Progress in immunotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Medical Tribune, Osaka, pp 15–16 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Nakamura G, Sugimoto M, Miki T et al (1988) Two cases of rheumatoid arthritis with nephrotic syndrome (abstract). Jpn J Nephrol 30:1455 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Newton P, Swinburn WR, Swinson DR (1983) Proteinuria with gold therapy; when should gold be permanently stopped? Br J Rheumatol 22:11–17

    Google Scholar 

  15. Ogawa N, Itoh M, Sudo Y et al (1990) A case of progressive systemic sclerosis with Sjögren's syndrome complicated by nephrotic syndrome caused by bucillamine. Ryumachi 30:362–368

    Google Scholar 

  16. Samuels B, Lee JC, Engleman EP, Hopper J Jr (1977) Membranous nephropathy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: relationship to gold therapy. Medicine (Baltimore) 57:319–327

    Google Scholar 

  17. Shimizu J, Yoshizawa N, Ohshima S et al (1990) A case of rheumatoid arthritis with relapse of nephrotic syndrome due to bucillamine treatment after remission of membranous nephropathy caused by d-penicillamine (abstract). Jpn J Nephrol 32:1294–1295 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Shiokawa Y, Ogawa N, Abe C et al (1985) Clinical evaluation of SA96 on rheumatoid arthritis. Igaku no Ayumi 135:1116–1133 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Takasugi K (1988) Evaluation of bucillamine in the treatment of active adult rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol 1:144–151

    Google Scholar 

  20. Texter SC, Gephardt GN, Bravo EL et al (1983) Membranous glomerulopathy associated with captopril therapy. Am J Med 74:705–712

    Google Scholar 

  21. Uchiyama M, Yazaki K, Takaya M, Ichikawa Y, Arimori S (1989) A case of bucillamine-induced nephrotic syndrome (abstract). Ryumachi 29:615 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Uesaka Y, Kanamori M, Sanai H et al (1988) Three cases of nephrotic syndrome with rheumatoid arthritis (abstract). Jpn J Nephrol 30:1475–1476 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Isozaki, T., Kimura, M., Ikegaya, N. et al. Bucillamine (a new therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis) induced nephrotic syndrome: a report of two cases and review of the literature. Clin Investig 70, 1036–1042 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00180315

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00180315

Key words

Navigation